I have yet to go through all the pages - but I will once I post. Like everyone else, I just want to share my story and/or find answers.

My problem began the last week of July, a week before my bodybuilding/figure competition. My stomach began to stick out and it feels like I swallowed a bowling ball? I eat very healthy, weight all my food, and lift weights 5/week and do cardio 3/week. My life is very regimented so anything out of the ordinary cannot be attributed to even a slight caloric fluctuation. 2.5 months later I have put on 5lbs and and have the distention/heaviness feeling 24/7. I did start taking probiotics and have daily bowel movements but this make no difference w/ my symptoms. I have seen since my GP and GI specialist and all they want to do is give me prilosec and tell me its acid reflux, they did an abdominal ultrasound which was negative. I think because I am young (30) in great shape and small, when I say my stomach sticks out they just look at me like I am insane.

I recently talked to a friend on mine, and she said she had two friends with GI issues - both thought they had a dairy/wheat allergy. Once a doctor actually listened and did some testing, they both had parasites. My cousin also had similar symptoms and found out she had a bacterial overgrowth and was given antibiotics.

i to suffer from this, its has been hapenning for the last 2 years. i have seen many doctors for it. the doctor i am currently with has had me take many different tests has given me many different medicines and alot of advice which all does not help. i do my own experiments to try and help this problem. what i found is alot of it is stress when i stress about it it gets worse. and with being a wrestler i always stress beacuse when im bloated im 5-7 pds over my natural weight and just puts me farther from my wrestling goals. but when i releax and calm down it works it way back to normal over a period of time.

the best thing to do is to stick to a consistant diet. for me i eat 3-4 meals a day any all healthy meals. oatmeal every morning and have a very healthy lunch and dinner. for instance chicken,turkey,fish, salads, fruits, eggs vegatbles. i find when i eat to much of anything i will get bloated.

also excerise when i run its an imedite relief after my workout.its hard to run at first because my stomach is so uncomfortbale but i fight through it because in the end i feel great.

but it is hard to keep a consitant diet everyday, so when i do eat anything other then a small healthy meal i get bloated and depressed and its a vicious cycle that im fed up with..but for me the key things are to not stress, eat consistant and not alot. and also to excerize.

In the past 1 and a half years i have had the same symptoms . bloating . constipation and excessive weight gain i was a size 10 I've put on over 20 kgs . I've had constant pain in my stomach and sides i blow up like a balloon. i look pregnant . i can't get rid of it somedays its smaller than the others but even thats to big.i was thinking it may be cysts having similar symptoms but I'm just not sure . i was taken to hospital last year with acute stomach ache but the doctors couldn't determine what it was .i need help it seems like everyone has the same problem here but nobody has an answer .. i just want my body back and my health this is depressing and i feel like crap all the time ... definatly a self-esteem killer.

hello, everyone I have some of them same problems, after having my second child, I had the baby blues, i fought for along time time before going to the doctors/ After going to the dr, i was put on medication, two year later, i had problems sleeping, problems walking, fatique, weaker muscles, inflammation of joint ,itch ears, weight gain and also i was sick al lthe time with flu like issues. So i went to specialist , on doctor diagose me with fibromyaglia , arthritis. three months of my liver almost fail from medication. I was sent to another specialist . this guy was awesome. before i could tell him that i was going to refuse to take more meds, he told me no more meds. right on!! he also told me that i was suffering from toxin posioning from my depression meds, What!! i could understand , so the med that i have been taking from one problem was make another. Well at the same time my dogs were suffering for liver problem cause by a food allergy ( hot spots) so i went to a wellness center that sells holistic products and came across alot of information. Well after changing, their food and had probotic powder,they are getting better, more energy , and hot spots going away.. what a relief, So i got started on research if this is helping my dog.What can i do for myself except selling my house because i'm 33 and cant walk upstairs or continue working in landscaping.. At the wellness center they have these ion foot bath machine, it showed that i have a yeast problem which by researching causes inflammation. after four treatments the yeast was gone and also my flu like feeling was gone too. wow!! my excited, so lets get to the root problem why does my body not function like everyone else. Because i have a food allergy,,as a baby i had allergy to dairy. Than i came across this auto immune diease called celiac. After reading i knew this was my problem from the start. i had even had my gall bladder out at 17. which is aother sign. Now!! it's been four weeks since i been weening off medication, two full weeks off of medication, one week on a gluten free and dairy free diets, i have loss 10 lbs, sleeping better, no itchy ear, more energy, less hungry, it was so easy to switch from bleached flour to rice, i hate pasta and the rice pasta is so good, i have not had to restrict myself from pizza, muffin, just change the ingredients of the dough, cake mix, the best pancakes are from a company called pamela products, so good and i havent bother to tell my family that i have switch the flour, they just think I am baking more, actually my husband told me we have to stop eat so much bake goods, !!! Even though you dont think you have this just try and see what happens!! it made a world of difference. i wish someone gave me this information alot earlier, there is proof in biology book that i have been reading from!! how cells and glands work with the small intestine. so good luck and hope this helps someone, i know in canada 1 in 133 people suffer from this and this would explain over weight, dieases, and why we are getting sicker and not better with the easy made food available to us.

I have had this problem for 4-5 years. It's miserable! Everytime I eat I look like I'm 5 months pregnant. Even after I just drink something I blow up. It's frustrating and makes me very depressed to where I won't leave the house because I can not fit in my clothes. I don't eat much because of this, yet I'm still gaining weight and blowing up. I have had my gallbladder removed but that hasn't helped me any. Ive had a panendoscopy and colonoscopy which both were normal. I just pray there will ne am answer to what this is.

I will repeat what a lot of other posters have said. Dump all sugar and white flour from your diet. Go on high protein with vegetables. Atkins and Protein Power both are good diets. So is South Beach. This is not about losing weight, although you probably will. This is about killing yeast spores in the digestive system. If you have any of the following problems: toenail fungus, bloating, excessive gas occasionally or often, digestive troubles such as IBS, itching skin and rashes that come and go, dandruff, allergies.... then you may very well have too much yeast built up in your system. Try high protein for one week and do not cheat. The diets offer you a list of foods that are OK because some vegetables like potatoes are starchy which ends up being turned into sugar in your system. Take a laxative if you eat just meat and cheese. This is not celiac disease which is an allergy to gluten. This is a build up candida in your system from years of eating sugar, pasta, bread, potatoes, white flour, etc. Drink lots of water! If this helps you in a week, you will know. Good news is that it is reversible.

Also, avoid all sugar substitutes except STEVIA and its by products like Truvia. These are natural plant based sugar substitutes. Artificial sweetners tend to act like sugar once digested and they can also cause an increase in appetite.

So relieved to find people who have the same problem! Someone said they had a test and found they had a delay in their stomach emptying. That would make the most sense about my symptoms - what can they do to fix that? I read about cutting out sugar and white flour but candy is about the only thing that doesn't make me bloat and salad makes me bloat the worst it seems! I even get bloated 2 seconds after drinking just plain water. It's causing me such a confidence problem I don't want to go swimming or anything that shows off my stomach or else I don't eat which isn't healthy. I'm constantly asking my husband if I look pregnant or if an outfit hides my bloating well enough. Anyone with cures?

I'm 18 years old and honestly reading this forum makes me want to cry. I already went to a gastro. doctor they did an upper and lower GI. (for a different reason) however they didn't find anything wrong. I have almost all of the problems stated on the forum... I have a modeling competition March tenth, I was actually researching ways to prevent my spontaneous "pregnant-like" belly, when I stumbled upon this forum. I was hoping I could find a "quick fix". I'm going to try everything that was said to help; even a little help... well its better than no help. I just don't know what to do anymore, I can't stand looking like I'm pregnant, I was always under ninety pounds, until I was seventeen. I was put on medicine after medicine for my depression, and then when they discovered I was bi-polar they started putting me on medicine for that and they all made me gain forty pounds!! So I'm not used to looking more than stick thin, let alone pregnant! I'm going to check this forum as much as I can, please if any one has any other suggestions (besides any already on here) PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I've printed out numerous exercises, I'm hoping maybe my situation is different and I can get SOMETHING out of that. =/ Other wise thank you in advance for anything anyone has to offer

*I read up a little since I read a couple of hours ago and didn't read until after I just posted this. But I don't eat sugar. The only sugar I consume comes naturally from the V8 V fusion I drink, Or from orange juice I drink. I don't have time to read all the posts, but if you comment on mine I will definitely read them

I'm 54 years old and my entire life since I was age 14 I have been no more then 105 lbs. In 2000 I had half my thyroid taken out and currently on 88 mcg of levoxyl for hypothyroidism. I put on 20 lbs from thyroid however over the past 3 years very strange symptoms have been occurring and all thought to be my thyroid. Now my doctor doesn't think so.

One visit my vitamin D was low so I was given the mass dosage. I had to repeat this twice, then take a normal supplement. Then I started to have what masked as a kidney problem. All test which included ultra sounds were negative. It cleared up yet the bloating stayed. New symptoms arrived. I'm not experiencing swelling from the abdomen down to my calves.

After test after test, colonscope, endoscope, ultra sound, blood test, all shows normal. I'm lucky in that my doctor is great. She knows something is going on and it isn't my thyroid.

She tested blood again and found I had a Vitamin B-12 deficiency and ordered me to take 1000 mcg a day. Didn't help still bloated.

Then she put me on a hormonal patch (climara) a low dose one. No results with the bloating

Then I read something interesting and decided to try it. I have yet to speak to my doctor about this so I warn everyone to be careful if they try it.

I read about the genetic marker of the MTHFR. Some websites report that 3 out of 5 people have it, some say 2 out of 5, and one report was 4 out of 5. Anyway.

After 3 days my stomach went down, my weight is 124 right now after the 3 days. I felt vibrant, zero depression, I actually woke up feeling rested. I was feeling a little too much racy like if I drank too much coffee so now I am playing with the dosage and taking the 5MTHF every 3 days but I'm taking the B-12 every day.

I'm also still on the patch.

Now I believe it is one of these three things that is working.

I am going to be getting a CatScan next week to make sure nothing is there in the pelvic or abdomen that the endoscope and ultra sound did't pick up. I expect this test result also come back negative.

I will request my doctor order the gentic test to see if I have it. The test the doctor should write to the lab is called MTHFR.

Some insurance companies do not cover it so make sure you check on that. If not the test shouldn't cost more then $150.00 dollars.

Please read up on MTHFR and the 5-MTHF there are youtube video's on the MTHF I think if you search "The new 5MTHF Craze"

MTHF is basically folate acid in the pure form. Your body goes through about 4 stages to process regular folate acid you get from foods to the pure form of methyltetrahydrofolate. The 5-MTHF bypasses the body so that you get what you need immediately. It works with B-12 so you have to take both together. Now the 10mg might be too much for some. If you can find Methyltetrhydrofolate in 5mg I would buy that one. Thorne labatories does make a 1 mg one but I don't think you'll see results from that.

Most doctor's are not aware of the deficiency with Folate Acid and when they test for it, they test wrong.

Now my hypothesis is that it is a Vitamin B-12 Deficiency which would raise your folate acid if your blood was tested but you really do not have too much folate acid. It takes a long time for a Vit B-12 deficiency to show up on lab work.

There would be no harm to try this as they are water soluable however if you feel that racy feeling decrease the 5MTHF but do keep taking the B-12.

If this doesn't work and you are a female I would suggest it is hormonal.

I have 3 things going on with meThyroid (by the way, it took 3 years of me feeling hypothyroid before my lab values actually showed up. if your Tsh is over 3.00 you need medication) Find a new doctor if they disagree.MenopauseDeficient in vitamins

Hello, I would like to first thank you for posting this and even though I don't have all the problems you've had, I do have enough that I feel something has to be done. I am somewhat confused with only one thing in your post, you say stay away from fermented foods yet everything I read says we need fermented foods....???? Unless their are more than one kind and I admit I'm dumb to fermented foods etc. Then only thing I know about foods is, how to eat it! (LOL) I already started the Probiotics that I have to keep in frig. it's called "VSL #3" and I was only taking one a day until I read your post and now I'm taking about 6 a day, thinking about going up to 8! What do you think??? I also eat Activia every morning and every night. I am waiting on the pharmacist to get in my colon cleansing in which should be today he said. Right now other than the Activia I am staying away from all carbs. Do you have any advise for me at all, I am so ready to get back to normal !!!!!!!!!! And will you please explain the "fermented foods" to me? Thank you soooooooooo much!!!!!!!!!!!Edna

Labradorguy wrote:I look as if I am 9 months pregnant when I bloat - which is almost daily. I used to work out daily and was a gym rat and ate healthy foods and freash fruits and vegtables! After MANY tests the doctors were not sure. But I'm convinced it is a Candida Yeast infection in my gut (Google "Candida"). Need to take HIGH quality PROBOTICS (the type that are kept in the refrigerator) - take 2 or 3 times the regular dose, stay away from ALL WHEAT, RYE, BARLEY, YEAST, FERMENTED FOODS, VINEGAR...... eat Yogurt with Probiotics and vegatables and HIGH PROTEIN FOODS. If you have your blood tested you may very likely be low in Vitamin D and B's & Iron (your gut cannot abssorb the nutrients in the food becuase of the yeast infelction)! Need to take supplements. It will take months to rid the gut of the yeast infection but you will start to notice an incredible imporvement on feeling less fatigue and not being bloated all the time (I could barley bend over to feed the dog!!!) in just a week or two. I'm probably the only man in history that has any idea what a women most go through being 9 months pregnant!!!The doctors tested me for parasites.... NEGATIVE..... Tested me for Celiac Disease.... NEGATIVE.... performed Ultra sound of Abdomen..... NEGATIVE..... did colonoscopy.... NEGATIVE!.... Tested for Lactose Intolerance.... NEGATIVE!I had had Lyme Disease 1 year prior and had been on Doxycycline for 6 weeks. I'm convinced the antibiotics destroyed the good FLORA in my gut and the Candida took over. Do you have toe nail fungus? That's Candida! Do you have itchy skin rashes? Could be Candida. Do you have Athletes Foot? That's Candida! Do you have vaginal or Anal itching?? Very likely Candida!I thought I was going crazy and the Doctors just wanted to keep doing tests.Google "candida" or "Bloating for no reason"..... that's how I began to learn what I had. You'll want to find a Good Quality health food store or Holistic Practioner who can guide you on doing a "Liver Cleanse" and a "Intestinal Cleanse" combined with Probiotics and Vitimans, Minerals, Fish Oil. I thought I had lost everything........ I'm now starting to feel alive again!Good Luck to those suffering this HORRIBLE and distressing disease...... I'm finally able to leave my house and not look like a pregnant man!!!I'd love to hear from others..... it's really horrible sitting at home thinking there is no hope or solution and that no one can tell you what you're suffering from!!! Best of Luck!Kevin